Get ready for Scouting adventure at Camp Three Falls! Located in the Lockwood Valley in northern Ventura County, at the base of Mt. Pinos, Three Falls offers summer camp for Webelos and Boy Scouts, as well as weekend camping for Scouts and other groups throughout the year.
Registration forms and other information are available on the Ventura County Council web site, or call the council at 805-482-8938.

I came across the following document while browsing through some old files in the camp office. I’m not sure who wrote it or when, but thought you might enjoy seeing it. I’ve transcribed it word for word:

The Life and Legend of Camp Three Falls

Ventura County Council – Boy Scouts of America

The year following the War to End All Wars, Louis Plush homesteaded a piece of land that was later to become Camp Three Falls. Lou and his wife, Ella, came to this valley in 1919 to begin their family. Soon after coming, the Plushes had a baby and they named her Louella.

The Ventura County Council operated a camp called Camp Gray in the Wheeler Gorge in 1927. Camp Gray operated for 5 years at that location. If you drive through the gorge today you can still see the original camp headquarters building on the right just as you enter the Forest Service camp. The Great Depression of 1929 forced the Boy Scouts to move on. During the Great Depression many public works projects were done to help put men back to work. One of those projects was the construction of a road between Ojai and Taft now known as Highway 33. A section of that road goes over the swimming pool at old Camp Gray.

With the Boy Scouts without a camp, a search was started to find a camp for the Scouts of Ventura County. The search ranged from Santa Cruz Island to Lockwood Valley. The council remembered Lou and Ella Plush and their homestead where they raised turkeys and grew apples. In 1932 the Plush family donated 10 acres to the Boy Scouts. Those 10 acres were to become the beginning of Camp Three Falls. The original camp is the area around the dining hall and up to the first canyon where Aztec and Paiute campsites are located.

In 1933 the Ventura County Council decided to have a trial camp on the Plush Ranch. On Jun 10, 1933 under the leadership of Scout Executive Elwood Griest, Camp Three Falls began operation. There was not a lot here back then. Lou Plush had dug an open trench piping system all the way from North Falls to a reservoir in the camp. The reservoir acted as the camp aquatics center where rowing, canoeing, and swimming were held. Other programs at that first camp included rifle shooting and archery in the present day Aztec campsite, native study campfires and horseback riding. Troop activities included cooking the 10 rattlesnakes that were caught, exploring the Pinnacles and hikes to Grade Valley, Lily Meadows and Mt. Pinos.

On July 24, 1933, the Council Executive Committee selected Camp Three Falls as the permanent summer camp and in December of that year construction began on the first building, a 23’ x 28’ administration building that now serves as the nature area. The next time you are in the nature den, look down on the porch and step and you will see the year 1933 etched into it. The 40’ x 90’ pool that is now in use today was built over the original reservoir provided by Lou Plush. During the winter of 1933 the Council opened its second season. The formal dedication of Camp Three Falls was held on July 1, 1934. By then 27 cabin sites had been built, a steel flag pole was in place, 1600’ of water line had been laid and the camp Camp Directors Lodge had been built. All was ready for the Scouts of the Ventura County Council.

The first winter camp was held in 1935. The following season over 300 trees were planted to provide shade and add to the beauty of the area. A gold prospector came and showed the Scouts how to pan for gold in the creek running through the camp. The next building constructed was the dining hall and kitchen. The following season another 175 trees were planted. In 1937 R. A. Fremlin donated a building that had been used as a dorm for lemon pickers. Legend has it that Fremlin Hall as we know it today was brought up by two mule driven wagons, and that the Scoutcraft corral was originally built to house those mules. In 1937 a rule was made of “no digging around the trees” to help protect the seedlings. An additional 40 acres was leased from the U.S. Forest Service to provide camp with the campgrounds of Dakota, Chawanakee, Chumash, Sioux and Shawnee.

The camp needed to grow to accommodate the number of Scouts coming to summer camp. Land across the valley was purchased from Bert Lee. Remember Lou and Ella Plush? Their daughter, Louella, had met a camp counselor at Camp Three Falls by the name of Bert Lee. Bert and Louella married and moved into a house at the entrance of the camp. Bert Lee became the Range Officer for the camp in 1938 along with Tom-Bob Carr. That same year the totem poles by the dining hall were carved under the guidance of Glen Mosberger. R. A. Fremlin provided the redwood for the totems. The totems were dedicated on July 4, 1938.

1939 saw the start of the Tribe of Matilija, a program progressing through various ranks for campers as they returned to Camp Three Falls. The 1940s saw the installation of drinking fountains, the 1950s the replacement of the original dining hall and kitchen, the 1960s the drilling of the camp wells. In the 1970s the double deck bunks were removed from the campsites and replaced with canvas tents. The Order of the Arrow built the health lodge used today and the dining hall was expanded to its present size. The 1980s brought the dedication of Lake Wood, the Dennis Blackburn Memorial Camp Center and the Hales boathouse. The 1990s brought Fort Lockwood, new cabins to Staff Canyon and the Arizona crossing into camp.

Camp Three Falls has brought lifelong memories to thousands of Scouts throughout the years. With countless summer camps, winter camps, training courses, long term hikes, those memories are fond ones. Camp Three Falls has a rich past and an untapped future.
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The Place for Adventure

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How to Get Here

Take Interstate 5 to the Frazier Mountain Park Road exit, just north of Tejon Pass between Gorman and Lebec. Go about 7 miles west, through the communities of Frazier Park and Lake of the Woods, and turn left on Lockwood Valley Road. Go another 8.2 miles and turn right on Boy Scout Camp Road. The camp gate is at the end of the road, about three miles.

2018 Camp Dates

For your long-range planning convenience, here are the dates for Boy Scout and Webelos Summer Camp at Three Falls NEXT year -- 2018.

2018 Dates

Webelos

Session 1 - June 24-June 27

Session 2 - June 27-June 30

Session 3 - July 1-July 4

Boy Scout

Session 1 - July 8-July 14

Session 2 - July 15-July 21

Session 3 - July 22-July 28

LDS Week - July 30-August 4

2018 is our 85th Anniversary year, so we expect a full camp. Get your reservation in early to ensure your choice of dates.

Top 10 Reasons to Go To Camp Three Falls

10. The setting. Located at 5400 feet, Three Falls is on the border between the sagebrush plain of Lockwood Valley and the forested slopes of Mt Pinos, in an area that’s rich in geological and ecological diversity. The area offers awe-inspiring hikes to the Pinnacles, Middle Falls, North Falls, and beyond. With warm days and mild nights, the weather compares favorably to other camps in southern California and even those in the Sierras.

9. It’s close to home. When you get to Gorman on Interstate 5, you’re 2 ½ hours from Whitsett, 3 ½ hours from Chawanakee, but just 30 minutes from Three Falls. “Are we there yet?”

8. It's reasonably priced. Three Falls is priced competitively other with full-service summer camps in southern California and the Sierras, and by taking advantage of early bird discounts or bringing your own tents, you can save even more. Plus, Three Falls is close to home, so you'll also save on transportation costs.

7. Great food. Probably the best of any scout camp in southern California. The Friday barbeque really is the best meal you’ll find at any scout camp, anywhere.

6. Unique features like Fort Lockwood and our 57-foot climbing tower, tallest of any scout camp in southern California. Our lake is as big or bigger than those at other southern California camps, and we also have a pool. A lot of camps have one or the other, but not both.

5. Quality merit badge instruction.We offer about 30 merit badges, with experienced instructors who focus on providing a quality learning experience tailored to the needs of each boy. Scouts go home from Three Falls with not just a badge, but new skills that will last a lifetime.

4. Trail to First Class. Campers and leaders say our Trail to First Class program is one of the best around. We focus on developing basic skills, not just signing off requirements, so your first-year scouts go home with increased self-confidence in the outdoors and filled with enthusiasm for scouting.

3. Webelos Resident Camp. We’re one of the few camps in southern California that offers a summer resident camp program for Webelos Scouts.

2. Small is beautiful. The compact size of the camp means you don’t waste time traveling from one program area to another, and the smaller number of campers means every boy gets more attention from instructors and other staff.

1. The staff. Made up mostly of scouts and adults from Ventura County, our staff is passionate about scouting and committed to giving you the best possible summer camp experience.

Helpful Links

Mission Statement

It is the mission of Camp Three Falls to:

-- Support individual Scouts by working with unit leaders to develop Citizenship, Character, and Fitness through the application of the Eight Methods of Scouting; and by fostering in those Scouts an enthusiasm for Scouting that will lead them to be more active in the program, and remain active in the program through their teen years.

-- Support Troops and Packs by helping unit leaders to provide their Scouts with superior program activities that they might not be able to deliver otherwise; by developing leadership and teamwork; and by helping to build Troop, Pack, Patrol, and Den spirit and group identity.

-- Support the Council by developing enthusiastic Scouts and stronger Troops; and by creating a sense of community by bringing together Scouts from different locations and social groups for shared adventure and learning experiences.

If you want to sign up for summer camp, or are interested in using the camp for weekend programs for your Boy Scout Troop, Cub Scout Pack, or other group, registration forms are available on the Ventura County Council web site, or call the council office at 805-482-8938.

Disclaimer: This blog is maintained by Larry Tuck, a volunteer scout leader in Ventura County, California and Program Director for Camp Three Falls. It is not sanctioned or approved by the Ventura County Council or the Boy Scouts of America. It is intended as a supplement to the official council site, and as a forum for my own opinions about camps and camping.